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A Year In Read-view

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It's that time of year again, where I look back and go 'huh, I read a whole lot of comics last year... probably should read more (non)fiction. Nah.'

Edward Shaddow

7 years ago

Latest Post Deus Ex... Mentis. Epilogue. by Edward Shaddow public

It's that time of year again, where I look back and go 'huh, I read a whole lot of comics last year... probably should read more (non)fiction. Nah.' Presented for your viewing pleasure my reading list for 2016. Rather than seperate posts this year I'm lumping everything in together and just grouping things, with a summary and interesting remarks.

Mid 2016 I decided I wanted to try and read more manga as it had fallen by the wayside in recent years. I've also dropped most, if not all, of the mainstream 'comics' from my pull list so enjoyed a varied and interesting year of single issues. You can also read my #blogjune posts for more detail about single issues and collected volumes from 2015-16.

To get my embarrassingly short list of books out of the way:

Books

Most anticipated read: A tie between A Painted Goddess and Night Vale. Gischler's fantasy trilogy is fun and classic Gischler, highly recommend.

Most interesting read: This Book is Full of Spiders. David Wong is amazing and weird and wonderful. I still have his third book to read!

Unexpected gem: A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. I wanted to read more sci-fi by women writers and Becky Chambers doesn't disappoint. Great story, great characters. Her sequel is on my to-read list this year!

Collected Comics

Most anticipated read: RANMA! Also The MAXX, and Sex Criminals, and Red Sonja...agh, so many!

Most interesting read: This would be Planetes. I've had the anime on my shelf for years but have never watched it, then I picked up the manga at the library and loved it. I think the manga is better than the anime (I've started watching it), it deals with the human condition more and how we're all 'space junk'. This is why I like manga, deep thoughts with interesting character studies, with some hilarity thrown in.

Unexpected gem: Monstress was the book that made me go 'WOW', beautiful art and an interesting story to pull you along, a must read. Also The Shinji Ikari Raising Project; while pretty cheeseball, it grew on me and I'm going back to the beginning to read it all. It probably does help that I love Neon Genesis (come on Hideaki Anno, we need the last film).

Cutest Manga: Yotsuba&! I love Yotsuba, she's cute as hell and laugh out loud funny. By the same creator as Azumanga Daioh1.

Craziest Manga: Citrus...it's an odd premise and even odder execution. Needless to say I won't be reading the rest of the volumes.

Single Issue Comics

If I take the trouble to read something in single issues it's usually an indicator that a) it's new and the collected volumes aren't out yet or b) I can't wait for the collected edition to come out. As you can see, the two big publishers are few and far between (I used to be an X-men freak), and the ones I do read are either written by women or feature women as main characters (in a positive light).

From 2016, and things I haven't already written about, I would highly recommend picking up:

That's it for 2016. Look forward to #blogjune 2017 where I freak out and do another 'things I've read' post!

  1. Which I also had to stop reading in public as I kept laughing out loud. People look at you weird when you laugh to yourself on the train...and in the gym come to think of it. Damn podcasts, be less funny!

Edward Shaddow

Published 7 years ago

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